Valerie June found her voice in Memphis, then took it on the road

By , Daily Memphian Updated: September 11, 2026 1:47 PM CT | Published: September 11, 2026 1:47 PM CT
In 2009, as she was about to appear in director Craig Brewer’s MTV series “$5 Cover,” a bundle of short films fictionalizing the real Memphis music scene, Valerie June sat in a booth of the Midtown Memphis restaurant Fresh Slices and detailed her plan to get out of town and live as a traveling musician. 

Chris Herrington on demand

Never miss an article. Sign up to receive Chris Herrington's stories as they’re published.

Enter your e-mail address

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Chris Herrington

Chris Herrington

Chris Herrington has covered the Memphis Grizzlies, in one way or another, since the franchise’s second season in Memphis, while also writing about music, movies, food and civic life. As far as he knows, he’s the only member of the Professional Basketball Writers Association who is also a member of a film critics group and has also voted in national music critic polls for Rolling Stone and the Village Voice (RIP). He now splits his time between Minneapolis-St. Paul, where his wife works, and Memphis.


Comments

Want to comment on our stories? If you’re a subscriber, scroll down to the comments. If you’re not a subscriber, only paid subscribers can add their thoughts, so subscribe now. Our commenting policy can be viewed here